Luweero Diocese bishop begins retirement journey
Bishop Eridard Nsubuga Kironde is drawing closer to his retirement.
By July next year, the Luweero Anglican community will be welcoming the 4th overseer of the diocese as the incumbent, Bishop Eridard Nsubuga Kironde draws closer to his retirement.
Luweero Anglican Diocese Synod is yet to announce the names of the clergy that will be forwarded to the House of Bishops for selection.
But in the meantime, Bishop Nsubuga is bidding farewell to different Anglican communities and Church-founded institutions.
“By July 2023, Luweero Diocese will have a new bishop. I have embarked on my retirement journey as mandated and guided by the Anglican Church when the bishop clocks 65 years of age. Our duty is to profess the true faith as Christians,” he said at the confirmation ceremony of 167 students at Ndejje Secondary school, where he also bid farewell to the Ndejje SS Anglican community at the weekend.
Bishop Nsubuga, who did not give details on how far the search committee of the synod has gone in seeking his replacement, rallied the newly confirmed Christians to be true witnesses to Christ through their works that is reflected in discipline and how they relate to others. “A confirmed member of the Church is expected to uphold the Christian values and become active and not passive members of the church. Salvation is reflected in our daily works. You are lucky to grow up in a community that upholds true Christian values,” he said.
The bishop also commended the Ndejje SS administration and parents for constructing a chapel.
The head teacher, Can Dr Charles Kayigiriza, said the development will continue to shape their faith.
“We ensure that the students practice their respective religious faith guided by the school administration. The school chapel has continued to be a centre of inspiration for the students’ moral growth reflected in the discipline by the chaplaincy,” Dr Kayigiriza said.
“Building a good and strong foundation for the future generation is our cardinal role. Besides academics, we ensure that the students remain disciplined, groom their respective talents through the skilling programme and sports and games culture,” he added.
Can Dr Kahigiriza also said the school is a beneficiary of the wise leadership of Bishop Nsubuga.
“We have witnessed spiritual growth championed by vibrant chaplaincy in several of the Church founded education institutions in the Diocese. At Ndejje SS, we cherish the wise leadership of the bishop who has on several occasions visited our school and inspired us to groom responsible and God fearing Citizens,” he said.
Meanwhile, the diocese chancellor and former Justice minister and Attorney General, Dr Edward Khidu Makubuya, confirmed that the Synod search committee is doing its work, and at the right time, the Christians will know the next bishop.
“We expect all people interested to have handed in their papers by end of August,” he said. The diocesan synod is yet to select an electoral college to begin the nomination exercise.
The local synod will then send two nominees from which the House of Bishops will choose the best candidate.
Dr Makubuya said the committee is already studying its work as guided by the Church of Uganda constitution.
“Come 2023, we shall have a new bishop. We have registered several achievements as the diocese including development projects. All the church projects are guided by the bishop as head of the diocese,” he said.
Who is the outgoing luweero bishop?
Bishop Eridard Nsubuga Kironde was consecrated on May 17, 2015 at St Mark Cathedral in Luweero Town Council as 3rd bishop of the diocese, replacing Bishop Evans Mukasa Kisekka. Bishop Nsubuga, before his elevation to the office, had served the same diocese as Provost at St Mark Cathedral and Archdeacon at Ndejje Archdeaconry, among other postings within the diocese.
A section of Christian credit him for championing the construction of the Diocese Pension House meant to generate funds for the welfare of the retired priests and the expansion of the Luweero Diocese Guest, completion of the Mothers Union Girls Hostel in Luweero Town Council, among other projects. A graduate of the University of Gloucestershire (UK), Bishop Nsubuga is also credited for ensuring that many of his serving priests go for further education at the different Theological Colleges and universities while creating new archdeaconries. The archdeaconries have since expanded from six to eight. The new archdeaconries include Ngoma, curved out of Kiwoko and Semuto that was carved out of Ndejje.
Luweero Diocese, carved from the original Namirembe, was inaugurated in 1990 under its pioneer bishop (late) bishop Misusera Bugimbi in 1990. Bishop Bugimbi retired in 1996 giving way for the consecration of Bishop Evans Kisekka in 1996. Luweero Diocese has a chain of educational and health institutions where the respective leaders tag the progress at their respective schools to the good and focused leadership of the Church as the foundation body.
